


Age of Grey

by valkyrieani



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Might be M later, Post TLJ, Slow Burn, TLJ Spoilers, maybe Poe/Finn/Rose Tico later, rated T for now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-16 00:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14152374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valkyrieani/pseuds/valkyrieani
Summary: Post-TLJ. Reylo. As Rey and Kylo Ren deal with the aftermath of Crait, can they find their way back to one another and move beyond the old legacies of the past? When Leia sends Rey off on her own, the Resistance must survive on Hope, even as the First Order tightens its stranglehold on the galaxy. Rey must use this time to save her friends by trying to reach Ben Solo once more. Can Rey and Kylo bring peace to the galaxy or will their own desires and ambitions cause further strife? Rated T for now. Greylo, possible Poe/Finn/Rose. TLJ spoilers. Also published on FFN





	1. Chapter 1

_Finally_ , Rey thought, as the music in her mind reached a soaring crescendo. She had spent the better part of a day searching the cave, with nothing but a small light and the Force as her guide. She and what remained of the Resistance had touched down on Lothal two days before, but instead of helping Leia and the others fortify their latest base and scramble for resources, Rey had been unable to do anything but seek out the source of an insistent pull. She felt she couldn’t do anything until she first quieted the cacophony in her heart.

The whispers had begun as they traveled through hyperspace, tugging her this way and that, yammering insistently through all hours of the day and night. In the end, Rey had confessed her discomfort to Leia, who gently reminded her that such messages could not be ignored. In the days it took to reach their destination – after following a convoluted path meant to keep the First Order’s inevitable pursuit at bay – Rey lost endless hours of peace, unable to eat, unable to sleep, unable to even think.

Yet in a way Rey welcomed the noise. It prevented her mind from turning to _him_.

The moment they landed, Rey jumped from the pilot’s seat and walked away from the _Millennium Falcon_ with quick, hurried steps. Finn had followed, concerned, but at a brief word from Poe Dameron, he demurred and returned to the side of the still recovering Rose Tico. Left to her own devices, Rey found herself in a nearby cavern, searching for who-knew-what.

But, as she gazed upon the crystal half-buried in the earth, Rey understood what the Force had led her to.

At first she feared the it had broken, split apart, its power corrupted. But as she took it in her hands, Rey realized she held two distinct crystals, formed together so closely as to create a cohesive whole. The stones sang against her skin, shimmering in the dim of the cave, and she knew she had found what she needed.

 

Rey closed the door to her bunk and sank down onto the floor, a crystal in either hand. Taking a deep breath, she slipped uneasily into meditation. She knew from the ancient Jedi texts that refining kyber crystals took an immense amount of concentration and energy. But something wasn’t right. Although the stones in her hands hummed in perfect harmony, a discordant note jangled at the edge of her awareness.

Following the thread, Rey focused on the broken pieces of Luke’s old lightsaber and the fractured kyber within. Although it was broken, torn apart by fear and sorrow, it cried out to her. Weeping, it begged her to mend what was broken, to adjoin its now disparate and fading halves.

Opening her eyes, Rey gave in to the demands of the Force and retrieved the broken lightsaber from its place on her bedside table. Placing it in front of her on the floor, she resumed her place and tried once more to allow her mind to drift in meditation.

It took her but a moment to tune herself into the greater sea of the Force, to let it wash over her and through her. To _guide_ her in her efforts to address the crystals in her possession. She felt each one distinctly – the pure stones in either hand, and the tired and broken one before her.

The Force seemed to guide her movements as Rey brought the new kyber towards the old one. It whispered at her to place the perfect stones on fractured one, to help her accomplish a feat even the ancient Jedi manuals claimed could not be done. The Force guided her to _heal_ the crystal from Luke’s lightsaber, to forget the past and fuse the broken pieces into a seamless, balanced whole.

Rey did not know exactly how long she remained in the solitude of her room, pouring her focus and energy into the damaged crystal, but after a time she became aware of the stiffness in her limbs, and the tension at the base of her neck. She felt on the cusp of triumph, so very close to healing the rift that had rent the kyber in two, but time after time she fell short of accomplishing her goal. Though the Force and the crystal itself demanded she complete the healing, she simply couldn’t. Something was missing.

It was in that moment that she felt _him_. Ben. Kylo Ren. Who he was she did not know anymore. And in her heart she wanted nothing more than to abandon her task and to hide away from him. But, as surely as if she were a reflection of the broken crystal before her, Rey felt torn in two. A second part of her reached out for him, _yearned_ for his companionship. And yet she _feared_. She worried he would repeat his entreaty from the _Supremacy_. But most of all she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to deny him.

But he said nothing. Instead, he merely dropped to the floor beside her, breathing ragged and shallow. Noiselessly, he placed his hands over hers, stopping a hairsbreadth short of contact, and nodded at her to continue her work.

Surprised, yet too drained to protest or question, Rey turned her attention back to the rent kyber crystal. As she reached out once again through the Force, she felt Ben’s own power blend with hers.

This time, it took but a moment before the crystal lit up with a brilliant flash of light. Energy poured from it, bathing Rey’s cramped bunk in blinding sparks.

As the lights faded and Rey’s vision returned to normal, she saw the fully healed crystal laying inert on the floor. But rather than feeling elation at her accomplishment, Rey felt only loneliness. For as the kyber’s strength had returned, her awareness of Ben had disappeared, and she was left alone in her bunk once more, the two crystals in her hand now singing in harmony with the third.

Rey had healed the legacy kyber crystal. For all she knew, she had accomplished the impossible. But why did she still feel so terribly hollow?

 

 

Back in his own quarters on Mustafar, Kylo Ren rose from where he crouched on the floor. He flexed his hands, thoughts shying away from what he had just witnessed. What he and Rey had just done. In all his research, he had never come across a verifiable account of anyone healing a kyber crystal. And certainly never by anyone new and unskilled in the ways of the Force.

Ostensibly, Kylo Ren recognized this feat made Rey a formidable and terrifying opponent for the First Order. Yet he could not help but feel a certain sense of pride in the young scavenger. Time and again, Rey proved herself incredibly resourceful, turning the old rules and strictures of the Force upside down.

Every time Kylo thought he could not love her more, Rey pushed beyond the boundaries of his heart and he could do nothing but fall helplessly further under her spell. What other evidence did he need than the fact that he stood in the dark fortress of his grandfather, mind filled with the thought of her? The turmoil that had so long been his companion had left him, and he now remained unsure of himself. The chaos that had fueled him had abandoned him and Kylo felt only longing and fear. Longing for a girl who stood as his opposite in everything, and fear that she might never look at him with acceptance.

Always he had been cursed by his own identity, smothered under the weight of legacy. First, he had been Ben Solo, son to the heroes of the rebellion, nephew of the last Jedi. And then Kylo Ren, master of the Knights of Ren, heir apparent to the last Sith Lord. But now, as he stood gazing out at the volcanic terrain of Mustafar, he did not know himself. He felt adrift, lost – no longer running from the past, nor chasing his future.

Suddenly, Kylo straightened. He might not understand his own self or feelings, but he did understand his goal. Although his mother had sent him away at an early age, Ben Solo had not completely ignored Leia’s lessons. After all, he was the son of a consummate politician. He had grown up in a galaxy filled with greed and chaos, inherently understanding the failures and foibles of the past generation. Now, with the destruction of the New Republic and the decimation of the Rebels, the First Order could finally bring about peace and stability through centralized rule.

Although he disapproved of the fanatic and nearly genocidal actions of Armitage Hux, Kylo Ren firmly believed in the doctrine of the First Order. And uniting the galaxy under a single, stable banner might serve to give him the direction he craved.

His decision made, his resolve solidified, Kylo Ren had found his path. So why, then, did he still feel so lost?

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-TLJ. Reylo. As Rey and Kylo Ren deal with the aftermath of Crait, can they find their way back to one another and move beyond the old legacies of the past? When Leia sends Rey off on her own, the Resistance must survive on Hope, even as the First Order tightens its stranglehold on the galaxy. Rey must use this time to save her friends by trying to reach Ben Solo once more. Can Rey and Kylo bring peace to the galaxy or will their own desires and ambitions cause further strife? Rated T for now. Greylo, possible Poe/Finn/Rose. TLJ spoilers. Also published on FFN

The next morning Rey left the crystals tucked away in her bunk, bundled up in a scrap of cloth in a drawer. Her body ached, her energy reserves depleted from the extraordinary efforts of the night before. It didn't help that sleep had evaded her as her mind replayed her contact with Ben.

Her mind obsessed over every detail, lingered on the catch in his breathing as their bond drew them together from across the galaxy, fixated on his bare hands as they hovered above her own. Sadness and regret had swirled in the pit of her stomach, making her almost sick with anxiety and missed opportunity.

So much had happened to her in only a matter of weeks. Even her optimism and determination faltered under the weight of it all. She had glimpsed the goodness of Ben Solo inside the monstrous facade of Kylo Ren. She had spoken with him in the most intimate and personal of ways across the stars. She had dared to hope and raced to his side in an attempt to bring him back to the light, only to see Kylo Ren reject the truth of his past.

And, though he had reached out to her, had implored her to join him, Rey could not. She could not abandon her friends, could not watch Ben retreat once more behind his mask. Although he begged her to let the past die - _kill it, if you have to_ \- his actions on Crait only proved his inability to take hold of the future she had glimpsed for them.

Yet he had wordlessly, selflessly helped her repair the crystal from Luke's lightsaber. Rey had not seen his face, had not allowed herself that luxury, but neither had she sensed the soul-wrenching conflict she had come to associate him with.

And so Rey wandered the dilapidated base in a haze that morning, confusion uppermost in her thoughts. After all he had done and everything she had seen, she still held onto the impossible hope of the redemption of Ben Solo.

So deep was her own inner conflict that Rey didn't hear her name being called until an exasperated Finn blocked her path.

“Rey are you okay?” he asked when she finally came to a stop.

Rey blinked. “Hmm?” It took a moment for his words to register but then she offered a smile. “I'm fine. How's Rose?”

Concern allayed for the moment, Finn beamed. “They finally let her out of bed. I mean, the medic told her to stay put, but they didn't really stop her when she got up to help with the base repairs . . .” he trailed off and peered at Rey speculatively. “Actually, I know you're probably busy with the whole Force thing but did you want to help me and Rose with some of the communication systems? Poe says we need ‘em quick.”

Relieved to have a task other than studying or meditating, Rey nodded and followed Finn, letting his enthusiastic chatter pull her out of her morose state.

 

As she worked with Finn and Rose that morning, Rey found herself slipping into an easy camaraderie with the pair. She listened in earnest to their escapade on Canto Bight, using the vivid imagination she honed on Jakku to picture the glittering world and its inhabitants. As she had just after the Battle of Crait, Rey found herself watching her companions closely, observing Finn’s care and attention to Rose. She noticed how he supported the other young woman at every turn, affection evident in his eyes and body language.

For a moment Rey felt a pang of jealousy tug at her heart, but not over Finn’s obvious feelings (or even Rose’s matching sentiments). Rather she yearned for something deeper, something more complicated and raw. As she watched Finn offer his hand to help Rose stand, Rey’s memories brought forth the image of a different outstretched hand, one tremulous and unsure.

But then Finn made a joke and Rey forced herself back to the present, laughing as she enjoyed her time with her friends.

Their joviality continued through lunch, their spirits dampened by neither the terrible rations nor the desperation of their situation. The shattered Resistance had fled to Lothal, a precarious position at best, but their optimism could not be cowed. They had endured heavy, crippling losses but Luke’s showing on Crait had revived their hope.

Now they worked feverishly to set up communication channels and find out what remained of forces sympathetic to their cause. The First Order had not bothered to take control of Lothal, but without the political posturing of the New Republic or the full might of the Resistance, it would not be long before stormtroopers pervaded every corner of the galaxy.

When Leia found her, Rey was fiddling with some frayed and tangled wires, regaling her friends with some of the better stories from Niima Outpost. Finn and Rose proved the perfect audience, hanging wide-eyed at every twist and turn of the tale, gasping in outrage at just the right moments. As the General approached, the three of them were roaring in laughter.

When she saw Leia, Rey paused, a strange sensation taking hold of her. She couldn’t quite say why her stomach churned – the General’s genial expression gave nothing away – but Rey reacted swiftly. She stood a little too fast and, murmuring her excuses, left the remainder of the work in Rose’s capable hands.

“Leia, I –“

The older woman tucked Rey’s arm beneath her own and smoothly turned them towards the exit. “Rey, I’d like to ask how your studies are going.”

Caught off guard, Rey could only gape. Leia patted her hand. “Any luck with those kyber crystals?”

Rey recovered quickly. “Yes. And something else happened . . .” She trailed off, unsure of how much to say. But she needn’t have bothered, for the knowing look in Leia’s eyes caught her hesitation.

“Is it something about my son?”

Rey stiffened, looking about them quickly. It was only then that she realized Leia had led them to an abandoned and derelict wing of the base. No one would disturb or overhear them.

“Chewie told me about your side trip to the _Supremacy_. Tell me – what happened with Ben?”

Sighing, Rey gave in and the entire story came tumbling from her lips in a rush. While she had hesitated to reveal the nature of her connection with Ben to Luke, telling Leia gave Rey a sense of relief. If anyone would understand what she had seen behind Kylo Ren’s mask, it was the beloved General.

Leia remained silent for such a long moment that Rey began to doubt her own feelings. But then – “He helped you heal the crystal?” Leia posed the question in a low, ponderous voice, but Rey sensed the older woman wanted to ask something else.

“Yes.”

“And he said nothing?”

Rey shook her head. “But I didn’t feel any malice or hate from him, just . . .”

“Yes?”

Thinking back to that moment, Rey tried to recall the details. Even though she had concentrated so dearly on the crystals, her heart could not have ignored the presence of the man at her side. “Regret,” she finally voiced. “I sensed regret.”

 

“What are your orders, Supreme Leader?”

Kylo Ren turned towards General Hux, struggling to contain the rage the sallow man incited in him. He said nothing, allowing silence to fill the room as Hux’s impatience swelled. Just when the military man seemed on the verge of an insolent outburst, Kylo responded.

“I trust your military expertise, General. After all, who better to facilitate the supremacy of the First Order than its premier son?”

Sensing Kylo Ren’s sarcasm but unable to identify it, General Hux instead took the opportunity to step into the role he had already envisioned for himself. After all, had he not been the one to suggest using Mustafar as a base of operations? It conjured up the strength of the old Empire while simultaneously holding Kylo Ren in place. Surely even the Master of the Knights of Ren would see the need for a permanent seat of power. And, after the childish display on Crait, Kylo would have to defer to more reasoned minds. Of which Hux saw himself as more than capable.

“Are you still of the opinion that hunting down the last of the rebel scum would be a waste of resources?”

Kylo’s response was dark and immediate. “Yes.” He made an impatient motion with his hands. “We have larger concerns. You might have dealt with the New Republic, but I can assure you there’s much to be done before we can restore order to the galaxy.”

This time, Hux caught the intended insult. Kylo Ren did not approve of his ruthless methods, but at least Hux delivered quantifiable results. _He_ did not prescribe to archaic magic or chase legends beyond all reason. He was in the business of pacifying the galaxy, of bringing stability and perfection out of the chaos sown by the self-serving New Republic. Achieving that goal would not be easy or clean.

Truthfully, Hux resented Kylo Ren’s hold on the seat of power, and he largely suspected that Supreme Leader Snoke’s death had not come so simply at the hands of some nameless desert scavenger. But until Hux could prove his suspicions without a shadow of a doubt, he could not convince the rest of the First Order to support the removal of Kylo Ren. Many within the upper echelons still subscribed to the superstitious idea of an arcane master ruling from the shadows.

“Very well. Then we shall commence with bringing the Core Worlds to heel. Too long have they enjoyed the comfort of their economic position. If we can take control of their shipping routes we can use the subsequent wealth to replace our assets.”

Kylo Ren nodded. “And stricter control on those routes will ensure a more manageable criminal element.”

Hux paused, taken aback by Kylo Ren’s astute assessment. Although the First Order had taken advantage of the flourishing criminal underworld during the reign of the New Republic, smugglers and thieves had little place in their vision of a more perfect galaxy. Increased security along the shipping lanes would force gangs like Kanjiklub to limit their illicit activities. From there, the First Order could take the time to route them from the lairs as they took systematic control of the galaxy. That Kylo Ren understood such nuanced strategy came as a surprise. It seemed the Force user had served as more than just a mad dog enforcer. Perhaps in the absence of Snoke’s manipulation, Kylo Ren would prove a capable leader. More’s the pity.

“Is there anything else?” Hux demanded. He barely caught himself in time. “. . . Supreme Leader?”

Kylo Ren’s thoughts turned inward and he no longer paid Hux his full attention. “That will be all, General.” He didn’t notice the redhead’s smirk as he left the room. Instead, he considered the complication from the night before.

No matter what he indicated to General Hux, Kylo Ren understood that even a handful of Resistance members could prove an infectious thorn in the First Order’s side. He knew from experience that Leia Organa would hold tenaciously onto hope with every fiber of her being. And he was beginning to recognize the same stubborn trait in Rey. Everything that made the girl a worthy opponent also made her someone to admire. In all their interactions, she displayed a fierce loyalty to her friends and a boundless capacity for hope.

Yet she rejected him. With tears shimmering in her eyes, she reached for Luke’s lightsaber. And when the dust had settled, she left him lying on the floor amidst the aftermath of the destruction he had wrought. _For her_. Was he so beyond redemption?

He felt adrift, more conflicted than when under the influence of Snoke’s machinations. His heart faltered and yearned for something he could never have. She was never coming back. In that moment, occupying the seat of power in the First Order, he regretted his actions on Crait.

How many years had he spent searching for Luke, waiting for his chance to destroy the man who betrayed him? But, standing on that barren salt field watching his uncle fade into death, Kylo felt not an ounce of elation or triumph. Instead he felt deflated; all the rage and pain he had cultivated in the fires of the Dark side melted away to reveal only emptiness and regret.

And the only thing that could possibly assuage his guilt and fear was the sight of her hand in his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-TLJ. Reylo. As Rey and Kylo Ren deal with the aftermath of Crait, can they find their way back to one another and move beyond the old legacies of the past? When Leia sends Rey off on her own, the Resistance must survive on Hope, even as the First Order tightens its stranglehold on the galaxy. Rey must use this time to save her friends by trying to reach Ben Solo once more. Can Rey and Kylo bring peace to the galaxy or will their own desires and ambitions cause further strife? Rated T for now. Greylo, possible Poe/Finn/Rose. TLJ spoilers. Also published on FFN

Armitage Hux walked the corridors with perfectly measured steps, not a single hair out of place, his expression as mild as he could manage. Still, despite his outward appearance, inside he seethed. How _dare_ Kylo Ren dismiss the rebels so easily? The damned rebels had destroyed several _Resurgent_ -class Star Destroyers and managed to escape Crait. That traitorous FN-2187 had defeated Captain Phasma without reprisal. The darling Jedi _scavenger_ of the Resistance had supposedly slaughtered Supreme Leader Snoke and the Praetorian Guards, and they were to simply let her walk away?

And Kylo Ren remained _unconcerned_?

Upon reaching his quarters, Hux began pulling up reports. Even when off-duty, he preferred to stay informed. Very little happened in the First Order that escaped his attention. But this cycle he did not read through the endless deck reports. Instead, he accessed the personnel files of the _Supremacy_ and its previous escort, eyes cold as the names flashed across the screen. Each of those names represented another black eye to the Order’s reputation. The stormtrooper program – the heart and soul of the First Order – necessitated the idea that the infants and children placed in its ranks would somehow lead a more stable, _ordered_ life. Such huge losses perpetrated by a ragtag bunch of rebel scum could not be tolerated. Despite the new Supreme Leader’s orders, Hux intended to pursue the rebels and make them pay for every single instance of humiliation.

All he had to do was make sure Kylo Ren remained on Mustafar and out of the military’s affairs. With that, Hux could make other arrangements to secure the legacy of the First Order.

 

They had a problem.

Leia Organa paced the length of her quarters, deep in thought. Although she fiercely wished to believe in the light Rey had glimpsed in Kylo Ren, she could not jeopardize the Resistance. Although it had cost his life, Luke’s appearance renewed her spirits. Her heart hoped in Rey’s ability to reach Ben. But such a connection between the Supreme Leader of the First Order and one of their own posed a major tactical threat to the remaining rebel fighters. A threat they could not ignore. In all her long years of service, Leia Organa had put the good of her people over her own desires. She could not stop now.

Although Rey assured her that Kylo could neither see nor hear her surroundings through their bond, Leia simply could not trust the situation would not change. Only just a short time ago, she would have insisted that the Force could not defy death, and yet here she stood, alive after blowing into space with the rest of the _Raddus_ ’s bridge.

While Leia acknowledged that Rey’s force bond with Kylo Ren was vital to the success of the Resistance, it also proved one of their greatest weaknesses. If Rey failed to pull Ben from the Dark side, and Kylo Ren exploited his connection with Rey to the First Order’s benefit . . .

No. The danger was too great. Rey needed to leave.

But how could Leia justify sending the Resistance’s last hope – the galaxy’s _Last Jedi_ – away without losing what little ground they had left? Yes, they had crippled part of the First Order’s fleet. Yes, Snoke lay dead. But the majority of the galaxy remained cowed under the weight of the First Order’s military threat. Few had forgotten how one lone Jedi managed to take down the Empire, and now – more than ever – Rey represented the distillation of their dreams and desperation. What else did they have at their disposal?

Leia sat at her desk and drummed her fingers against its cold surface. Luke had defeated the Empire because he had turned Darth Vader against the Emperor, allowing a crack in the regime’s façade. That crack had encouraged the galaxy to rise up and take back what was theirs. It seemed Rey had incited Kylo Ren to a similar betrayal, but this time the Resistance had not had the resources or wherewithal to take advantage of that critical moment. Now the First Order had regrouped and appeared as impenetrable as ever. Even licking its wounds, the Order continued its overtures to bring the scattered systems to heel. Those villains would use anything to snuff out any and all who opposed them. Including an accidental Force bond.

So. They could not afford for Rey to remain. But neither could they appear to abandon her.

But, then, no one needed to _know_. They only had to _hope_.

“3PO?”

The golden protocol droid tottered towards her. “Yes, General?”

“Have Rey and Commander Dameron meet me in the command center.”

“Yes, of course.” C-3PO paused. “But I’m afraid we have yet to establish a formal command center. Should I direct them to the provisional command room?”

Even after so many decades of dealing with C-3PO’s fussiness, Leia couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes. “Just do it.”

 

Poe Dameron rushed through the dim halls towards the command center, his heart bursting with the thought of another mission. It had only been a few days since they arrived on Lothal, but he was going out of his mind with boredom. While he had always been able to get by in a tight pinch, he simply did not have the knowledge – or interest – to carry out the extensive repairs needed around the base. More often than not Poe only managed to get in the way. But what was a pilot to do when they had only one ship in any kind of working condition?

When C-3PO informed him of Leia’s order to meet, he knew something was about to happen. Finally.

Such was his enthusiasm to get to his destination that Poe nearly slammed into Rey as she made her way down the corridor. Without thinking, he reached out a hand to steady her arm, pretending not to notice just how thin she felt.

He remembered Finn mentioned that Rey came from Niima Outpost, but he hadn’t given it much thought before. Now, as he recalled what little Jakku had to offer, Poe began to realize that the slim girl before him hid much more strength than what a few Jedi tricks could offer.

“Sorry,” he managed with a lopsided smile. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

“Me too,” Rey chirped. “I wonder what the General needs?”

Poe chuckled, seeing the converging threads Leia meant to tie together. “You too, huh? This has gotta be something big.”

Rey could hear the burgeoning excitement in Poe’s voice, but she didn’t share the feeling. Instead, the thought of the impending meeting felt like a stone in her stomach. She had been backed into a corner too many times in her life not to recognize the tight spot the Resistance found itself in. For a moment Rey longed for the simplicity of her life back on Jakku. Sure, her days had been filled with the dangers of hunger pangs and physical harm, but life on Jakku had been predictable. She understood what awaited her on the next sunrise.

But now . . .

Everything tangled before her, a jumbled nest of knotted thread and shadows. She had flown across the galaxy to learn her place in all of this, had begged Luke to show her the ways of the Force, and then shipped herself to the center of battle and chaos for the hope she saw in one man’s eyes. It had been a compulsion, that need to reach out and take his hand. But the ties that bound her to this ever-dwindling group of Resistance fighters held her tight. Finn, BB-8, Leia – even Poe and Rose – they were the family she never had. Just as surely as Ben Solo was the future she might never see.

They reached the command center in moments and Rey paused before the door, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath in, then slowly released it. If the world around her lay in shadow, Leia represented a bright spark in the night. The older woman blazed with an intractable determination and resolve. It was no wonder people followed her again and again to the end of everything.

It suddenly seemed to Rey that Leia Organa, even more so than her twin brother, encapsulated the resolute and unmovable spirit of the Jedi. Rey could not imagine Leia having ever been tempted by the Dark side. Even Luke, the self-proclaimed last Jedi, had felt the call to the never-ending black. And when he could not control the balance within himself or his apprentice, Luke chose to close himself off from the Force.

But Leia . . . Leia made every move with the utmost care, her actions almost ruthless in her quest to defend and return the virtuousness, the _light_ , of the Republic. And like so many sycophants, her acolytes of the Resistance threw themselves blindly into the fight.

With Rey’s understanding of the General’s character came the knowledge that whatever the older woman had to say would set her on a path she might never return from.

_But what else can I do?_ Rey thought, _when my friends need my help?_

Rey wanted to make the galaxy safer for her friends. Even if it meant upending the universe, Rey would make sure they remained happy and healthy.

A vision of an outstretched, black-gloved hand flashed before her eyes.

Even if it meant waiting a lifetime to find her own peace.

“Rey,” the General called. “Come in, please.”

Opening her eyes, Rey stepped through the door to face Leia’s command.


End file.
